← 11 May Friday 12 May 2017 · to 23:59 UTC 13 May →
What the world's news said happened to people.
Counts of coverage, not of suffering
45,627 stories about harm· Trends· Every past day

We measure how the world's news covered people being harmed — and the help and hope within it.

How to read these numbers →

Most of the day's attention went to people injured in Congo, violence in Quetta and protests in Amman (Jordan). Congo's coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's. In the world's news as a whole, the wording was much softer than usual.

Part of lifeRights & justice 29 in 100 of the stories about harm · about as usual Country that rose mostFinland 55 in 100 of its 339 stories, usually 13
RegionEast Asia 18 in 100 of its stories, usually 15
Tone of the words Much softer than usual across the world's stories about harm

What the world's news was about today

how these are picked →
Health

Congo

413 of its 427 stories (97%) were about people being harmed, usually 65%. Reports of people injured ran at about three times the usual rate (13 stories). Haemorrhagic fever was named in 286 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual. Its coverage was about three times as grief-stricken as the world's.

Congo over 30 days → its stories →
Conflict & violence

Pakistan

1,194 of its 2,038 stories (59%) were about people being harmed, usually 41%. Quetta accounted for 670 of Pakistan's 1,194 stories about harm, carried by 413 outlets. Reports of people injured ran at about 5 times the usual rate (600 stories). Its coverage was about twice as angry as the world's.

Pakistan over 30 days → its stories → Quetta stories →
Protests & strikes

Jordan

105 of its 284 stories (37%) were about people being harmed, usually 21%. 63 of Amman's 69 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about 8 times the usual rate (78 stories). Its coverage was about twice as fearful as the world's.

Jordan over 30 days → its stories → Amman stories →
Disasters & accidents

Finland

186 of its 339 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 13%. Reports of people killed ran at about 5 times the usual rate (43 stories). Grief in its coverage rose to about three times its own usual.

Finland over 30 days → its stories →
6 more places the news pointed at
Protests & strikes

Nepal

163 of its 294 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 40%. Kathmandu accounted for 133 of Nepal's 163 stories about harm, carried by 118 outlets. 95 of Kathmandu's 133 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people displaced ran at more than ten times the usual rate (21 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Palestine

577 of its 1,057 stories (55%) were about people being harmed, usually 47%. Ramallah accounted for 392 of Palestine's 577 stories about harm, carried by 91 outlets. 342 of Ramallah's 392 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of refugees ran at about twice the usual rate (32 stories).

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Venezuela

340 of its 498 stories (68%) were about people being harmed, usually 63%. Caracas accounted for 248 of Venezuela's 340 stories about harm, carried by 178 outlets. 199 of Caracas' 248 stories were about protests or strikes. Malaria was named in 56 of its stories about harm, more than ten times usual, with diphtheria.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Côte d’Ivoire

133 of its 235 stories (57%) were about people being harmed, usually 37%. Abidjan accounted for 85 of Côte d’Ivoire's 133 stories about harm, carried by 77 outlets. 85 of Abidjan's 85 stories were about protests or strikes.

its stories →
Protests & strikes

Bahrain

31 of its 101 stories (31%) were about people being harmed, usually 10%. 5 of Manama's 9 stories were about protests or strikes. Reports of people killed ran at about 8 times the usual rate (20 stories).

its stories →
Conflict & violence

Italy

586 of its 2,045 stories (29%) were about people being harmed, usually 20%. Reports of arrests ran at about twice the usual rate (98 stories). Its coverage was about one and a half times as fearful as the world's.

its stories →

Also named far more than usual: earthquake in El Salvador (33 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); hunger in Ethiopia (15 of its stories, about 6 times its usual); hunger in Zambia (15 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); landslides in Iran (34 of its stories, more than ten times its usual); malaria in Venezuela (56 of its stories, more than ten times its usual).

20 in 100 stories were about harm

usually 21; 19 the day before
25 in 10019 in 10013 Apr20 Apr27 Apr4 May12 May13 Apr: 21 in 10014 Apr: 23 in 10015 Apr: 25 in 10016 Apr: 25 in 10017 Apr: 23 in 10018 Apr: 20 in 10019 Apr: 21 in 10020 Apr: 21 in 10021 Apr: 22 in 10022 Apr: 23 in 10023 Apr: 22 in 10024 Apr: 22 in 10025 Apr: 21 in 10026 Apr: 20 in 10027 Apr: 20 in 10028 Apr: 20 in 10029 Apr: 20 in 10030 Apr: 21 in 1001 May: 22 in 1002 May: 21 in 1003 May: 21 in 1004 May: 21 in 1005 May: 21 in 1006 May: 23 in 1007 May: 24 in 1008 May: 20 in 1009 May: 20 in 10010 May: 20 in 10011 May: 19 in 10012 May: 20 in 100 · this day

Stories about people being harmed, in every 100 stories, the 30 days to 12 May. The big dot is this day; the shaded band is a normal day (the 30 days before it). Click a day to open it. Based on 45,627 stories about harm among 228,311 counted on 12 May.

Read the day's briefing

Mentions of haemorrhagic fever ran more than ten times their usual in Congo's news. of the day's 228,311 news stories, 20 in every 100 were about people being harmed, below the usual 21. Congo stood out: 97% of its news was about people being harmed, usually 65%. A year earlier, on 12 May 2016, 19 in every 100 stories were about people being harmed, against 20 today.

Written by code from the day's numbers.

Where harm was most of the news all →

Congo97 in 100 of its 427 stories · usually 65 · mostly health Central African Republic85 in 100 of its 53 stories · usually 77 · mostly conflict & violence El Salvador71 in 100 of its 73 stories · usually 49 · mostly disasters & accidents Venezuela68 in 100 of its 498 stories · usually 63 · mostly rights & justice Afghanistan67 in 100 of its 418 stories · usually 78 · mostly conflict & violence

Countries with at least 50 stories that day.

Where people protested

Ramallah Palestine342 stories about protests or strikes, of its 392 Caracas Venezuela199 stories about protests or strikes, of its 248 Washington US159 stories about protests or strikes, of its 1925 Raqqa Syria98 stories about protests or strikes, of its 254 Kathmandu Nepal95 stories about protests or strikes, of its 133

Stories, not people.

Where the news was warmest

feelings in full →
Feelings Events Harm Warmth
Zimbabwe: about as warm as its own usual or lessZambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessVietnam: about as warm as its own usual or lessVanuatu: about as warm as its own usual or lessUzbekistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessUruguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessMicronesia: too little coverage to readU.S. Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuam: about as warm as its own usual or lessPuerto Rico: about as warm as its own usual or lessUnited States: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Georgia & South Sandwich Islands: too little coverage to readFalkland Islands: too little coverage to readCayman Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsle of Man: too little coverage to readUnited Kingdom: about as warm as its own usual or lessUkraine: about as warm as its own usual or lessUganda: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurkmenistan: too little coverage to readTurkey: about as warm as its own usual or lessTrinidad & Tobago: about as warm as its own usual or lessTonga: about as warm as its own usual or lessTogo: about as warm as its own usual or lessTimor-Leste: too little coverage to readTajikistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessTaiwan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSyria: about as warm as its own usual or lessSwitzerland: about as warm as its own usual or lessSweden: about as warm as its own usual or lessEswatini: about as warm as its own usual or lessSuriname: too little coverage to readSudan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessSouth Africa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSomaliland: too little coverage to readSolomon Islands: too little coverage to readSlovakia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSlovenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSingapore: about as warm as its own usual or lessSierra Leone: about as warm as its own usual or lessSeychelles: too little coverage to readSerbia: too little coverage to readSenegal: about as warm as its own usual or lessSaudi Arabia: about as warm as its own usual or lessSão Tomé: too little coverage to readSamoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Vincent: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt. Lucia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRussia: about as warm as its own usual or lessRomania: about as warm as its own usual or lessQatar: about as warm as its own usual or lessPoland: about as warm as its own usual or lessPhilippines: too little coverage to readParaguay: about as warm as its own usual or lessPapua New Guinea: about as warm as its own usual or lessPanama: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalau: too little coverage to readPakistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessOman: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorway: too little coverage to readNorth Korea: about as warm as its own usual or lessNigeria: too little coverage to readNiger: about as warm as its own usual or lessNicaragua: about as warm as its own usual or lessNiue: too little coverage to readNetherlands: about as warm as its own usual or lessCuraçao: too little coverage to readNamibia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMozambique: about as warm as its own usual or lessMorocco: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara: about as warm as its own usual or lessMontenegro: about as warm as its own usual or lessMongolia: about as warm as its own usual or lessMoldova: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritius: about as warm as its own usual or lessMauritania: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalta: about as warm as its own usual or lessMali: about as warm as its own usual or lessMalawi: about as warm as its own usual or lessMadagascar: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorth Macedonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLuxembourg: about as warm as its own usual or lessLithuania: too little coverage to readLibya: about as warm as its own usual or lessLesotho: about as warm as its own usual or lessLebanon: about as warm as its own usual or lessLatvia: about as warm as its own usual or lessLaos: about as warm as its own usual or lessKyrgyzstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessKuwait: about as warm as its own usual or lessKosovo: too little coverage to readKiribati: about as warm as its own usual or lessKenya: about as warm as its own usual or lessKazakhstan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJordan: about as warm as its own usual or lessJapan: too little coverage to readItaly: about as warm as its own usual or lessIsrael: about as warm as its own usual or lessPalestine: about as warm as its own usual or lessIreland: about as warm as its own usual or lessIndonesia: too little coverage to readIndia: about as warm as its own usual or lessIceland: about as warm as its own usual or lessHungary: about as warm as its own usual or lessHonduras: about as warm as its own usual or lessHaiti: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuyana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuinea-Bissau: too little coverage to readGuatemala: about as warm as its own usual or lessGrenada: about as warm as its own usual or lessGreece: about as warm as its own usual or lessGhana: about as warm as its own usual or lessGermany: about as warm as its own usual or lessGeorgia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGambia: about as warm as its own usual or lessGabon: about as warm as its own usual or lessSt Pierre & Miquelon: too little coverage to readFrench Polynesia: too little coverage to readNew Caledonia: too little coverage to readFrench Southern Territories: too little coverage to readÅland Islands: too little coverage to readFinland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFiji: about as warm as its own usual or lessEstonia: about as warm as its own usual or lessEritrea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEquatorial Guinea: too little coverage to readEl Salvador: too little coverage to readEgypt: about as warm as its own usual or lessEcuador: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominican Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessDominica: too little coverage to readDjibouti: too little coverage to readGreenland: about as warm as its own usual or lessFaroe Islands: too little coverage to readDenmark: about as warm as its own usual or lessCzech Republic: about as warm as its own usual or lessN. Cyprus: too little coverage to readCyprus: too little coverage to readCroatia: about as warm as its own usual or lessCôte d'Ivoire: about as warm as its own usual or lessCosta Rica: about as warm as its own usual or lessDR Congo: about as warm as its own usual or lessCongo: about as warm as its own usual or lessComoros: too little coverage to readHong Kong: about as warm as its own usual or lessChile: too little coverage to readChad: about as warm as its own usual or lessCape Verde: too little coverage to readCanada: about as warm as its own usual or lessCameroon: about as warm as its own usual or lessMyanmar: about as warm as its own usual or lessBurkina Faso: about as warm as its own usual or lessBulgaria: too little coverage to readBrunei: about as warm as its own usual or lessBrazil: too little coverage to readBotswana: about as warm as its own usual or lessBosnia and Herzegovina: about as warm as its own usual or lessBolivia: about as warm as its own usual or lessBhutan: about as warm as its own usual or lessBenin: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelize: about as warm as its own usual or lessBelgium: about as warm as its own usual or lessBarbados: about as warm as its own usual or lessBangladesh: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahrain: about as warm as its own usual or lessBahamas: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzerbaijan: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAustralia: about as warm as its own usual or lessHeard & McDonald Islands: too little coverage to readArmenia: about as warm as its own usual or lessArgentina: about as warm as its own usual or lessAntigua & Barbuda: too little coverage to readAngola: about as warm as its own usual or lessAndorra: too little coverage to readAlgeria: about as warm as its own usual or lessAlbania: about as warm as its own usual or lessJammu & Kashmir: about as warm as its own usual or lessGaza: about as warm as its own usual or lessWest Bank: about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Moroccan-controlled): about as warm as its own usual or lessWestern Sahara (Free Zone): about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessSiachen Glacier: about as warm as its own usual or lessCrimea: about as warm as its own usual or lessEast Jerusalem: about as warm as its own usual or lessAzad Kashmir & Gilgit-Baltistan: about as warm as its own usual or lessVatican City: about as warm as its own usual or lessMarshall Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessNorthern Mariana Islands: too little coverage to readAmerican Samoa: about as warm as its own usual or lessChagos Islands: too little coverage to readSt. Helena: too little coverage to readPitcairn: too little coverage to readAnguilla: too little coverage to readBermuda: about as warm as its own usual or lessBritish Virgin Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessTurks & Caicos Islands: too little coverage to readMontserrat: too little coverage to readJersey: about as warm as its own usual or lessGuernsey: about as warm as its own usual or lessSan Marino: too little coverage to readSt Kitts & Nevis: about as warm as its own usual or lessCook Islands: about as warm as its own usual or lessAruba: too little coverage to readNauru: about as warm as its own usual or lessMonaco: about as warm as its own usual or lessMaldives: about as warm as its own usual or lessLiechtenstein: too little coverage to readWallis & Futuna: too little coverage to readSt. Martin: too little coverage to readSt. Barthélemy: too little coverage to readMacao: too little coverage to readNorfolk Island: too little coverage to readSint Maarten: too little coverage to readChristmas Island: too little coverage to readGibraltar: about as warm as its own usual or lessMayotte: too little coverage to readYemen: warmth about its own usualVenezuela: warmth about its own usualUnited Arab Emirates: warmth about its own usualTunisia: warmth about its own usualThailand: warmth about its own usualTanzania: warmth about its own usualSouth Sudan: warmth about its own usualSri Lanka: warmth about one and a half times its own usualSpain: warmth about its own usualSomalia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualRwanda: warmth about its own usualPortugal: warmth about one and a half times its own usualPeru: warmth about its own usualNew Zealand: warmth about its own usualNepal: warmth about one and a half times its own usualMexico: warmth about its own usualMalaysia: warmth about one and a half times its own usualLiberia: warmth about its own usualJamaica: warmth about its own usualIraq: warmth about its own usualIran: warmth about its own usualGuinea: warmth about its own usualFrance: warmth about its own usualEthiopia: warmth about its own usualCuba: warmth about its own usualColombia: warmth about its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualCentral African Republic: warmth about its own usualCambodia: warmth about its own usualBurundi: warmth about its own usualBelarus: warmth about its own usualAfghanistan: warmth about one and a half times its own usualChina: warmth about its own usualYazd, Iran -- rights & justice: 19 stories, carried by 13 outletsBalaka, Central African Republic -- conflict & violence: 20 stories, carried by 19 outletsUpper Big Branch, US -- disasters & accidents: 28 stories, carried by 67 outletsKentucky, US -- rights & justice: 51 stories, carried by 46 outletsDickoya, Sri Lanka -- conflict & violence: 14 stories, carried by 13 outletsBuderim, Australia -- shelter & services: 59 stories, carried by 30 outletsKashmir, Kashmir -- conflict & violence: 15 stories, carried by 13 outletsByron Bay, Australia -- shelter & services: 31 stories, carried by 20 outlets
Warmer than its own usual The warmest eventsAbout as warm or lessToo little news

Each country shaded by the warmth in its news — care, help, gratitude — against its own last 30 days. Stronger colour: further above. Dots: the events whose coverage carried the most warmth, even where the event itself began as harm. Warm words, not good outcomes. Click a country or a dot.

Warmest news

● Portugal warmth about one and a half times usual ● Sri Lanka warmth about one and a half times usual ● Malaysia warmth about one and a half times usual ● Nepal warmth about one and a half times usual ● Afghanistan warmth about one and a half times usual ● Somalia warmth about one and a half times usual

Warmest events

● Yazd Iran about twice as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 19 stories ● Balaka Central African Republic about twice as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 20 stories ● Upper Big Branch US about twice as warm as the day's news · disasters & accidents · 28 stories ● Kentucky US about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · rights & justice · 51 stories ● Dickoya Sri Lanka about one and a half times as warm as the day's news · conflict & violence · 14 stories

The day in three measures

Parts of life 30 days →

Rights & justice29% 13,111 stories · about as usual Health24% 10,507 stories · more than usual (usually 19%) Conflict & violence19% 8,316 stories · less than usual (usually 23%) Disasters & accidents14% 6,077 stories · about as usual Deaths & injuries, cause not given6% 2,677 stories · about as usual Food & livelihood3% 1,520 stories · about as usual Shelter & services3% 1,277 stories · about as usual Displacement2% 965 stories · about as usual

Of the stories about people being harmed, what part of life each was about. The mark is usual.

Harm reported 30 days →

Stories reporting people killed13,035 at about the usual rate Stories reporting arrests6,282 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people affected5,332 at about the usual rate Stories reporting people injured3,026 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Pakistan Stories reporting abductions990 at about one and a half times the usual rate · most about the US and Nigeria Stories reporting refugees599 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Germany and Jordan Stories reporting evacuations451 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Canada Stories reporting people displaced319 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about Somalia and Nigeria Stories reporting people falling ill44 at about two-thirds of the usual rate · most about the US and Australia

Stories that report it, not people: we count what reporters wrote, not what happened.

How it felt 30 days →

harshwarm

The words in the day's stories were much softer than usual. Filled dot: today. Ring: usual.

● Angera little less than usual
● Warmthabout as usual
● Griefa little less than usual
● Fearabout as usual

From the words reporters used across the whole day, never one story. Fear is the weakest of the four measures. How?

The weekly briefing · 19 Oct – 25 Oct

The week in human impact

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How to read these numbers →

These are counts of stories, not counts of suffering. Most of what happens to people is never reported at all.